Vertical Glimpse at New course
Attempting two birds with one stone. Trying to get a different angle from the camera tonight—plus capture our online Learning Platform. A twofer!
Here’s a short (40 secs) clip of how the online platform works. We’ve made it really simple. The visual language from the Playbook is continued on screen. And every lesson has a short tutorial film.
#BehindTheScenes
#EssentialScholar
Latest YouTube Video Uploaded
How to prioritise which books to read and what not to read.
Last month, we added 12 new books to our Leadership Library. Which ones did we buy? and why? Learn what makes Bob tick, especially with front covers and the colour yellow!
Note—I've made this film on the back of Matt D'Avella's fabulous 'Master YouTube' course. Always learning. Always wanting to improve. I think we've made a step change—certainly with the addition of B-roll footage.
#LeadershipLibrary
#LovingBRollFootage
Perhaps it’s time to Think Again
Another day. Another book delivery. This time it’s Think Again, by Adam Grant.
Best-selling author, and top-rated professor, Adam Grant was on High Performance Podcast this week (fascinating interview, btw). And so I couldn’t resist the urge with his new book.
From the inside cover, “If knowledge is power, knowing what you don’t know is wisdom.”
We’d better make that 1183 books in the Leadership Library!
#OriginalThinking
#QuestionAssumptions
12 Book Thumbnail
What do you think? Always up for a challenge. Matt D’Avella wanted me to create a thumbnail separately to our latest video. And here’s the result.
Previously, I would create thumbnails from film footage—this has always worked in the past. But the challenge here was to think about thumbnails before we started filming. Matt wanted me to stage the shot. And spend time getting it right. He believes that thumbnails will be critical to our success on YouTube.
(I recently enrolled on one of Matt’s film courses—always striving for Excellence.)
#MasterYouTube
#ThumbnailPerfection
Changes to schedule
We’re launching our first online Leadership Development Programme in January 2023. It’s called The Essential Scholar… and personally speaking—I cannot wait. In fact, I’ve probably been a bit too eager in setting (realistic) dates to start the course.
So after a bit of feedback and encouragement from a few of our Sunday Scholars, we’ll be pushing the course back a week.
The following changes will be made:
The Essential Scholar will commence Monday, 09 January 2023. This allows everyone to get back to work and feet under the desk before starting the course. It also allows an extra week for your special postal deliveries to arrive.
A new workshop will go ahead every Wednesday at 2pm (30-40 mins). This will replace the monthly mastermind. In hindsight, this will help you maintain momentum, and get to know other scholars. The later time allows a clearer diary—and opens the course up to international scholars.
The Graduation and Awards will remain Wednesday, 29 March at 2pm. This is a chance to celebrate your achievement with others. Start with the end in mind. And plan for success.
The introductory offer will remain until Saturday, 31 December 2022.
#TheEssentialScholar
#FasterFeedbackLoops
Attention Seeking Scholar Bees
What’s caught your attention recently?
Here’s a sneak peak at our Leadership Playbook—or more specifically, the rear cover. Look how the light catches the spot varnish. How many bees do you notice?
Launching in January 2023, The Essential Scholar is our new Leadership Development Programme. And every participant will receive an exclusive copy of our Leadership Playbook.
#LeadershipDevelopment
#AttentionSeekingScholarBees
Seeking Perfection with Podcast
Never comfortable with hitting release. Especially when you’re unable to edit post send. The Sunday Scholar newsletter was published earlier today.
I knew it was above the Thick Red Line (better than poor, and satisfactory at the very least). But I still wasn’t happy.
So back to the drawing board. A copy of chops and changes. And it was time to record the newsletter as a podcast.
And relax. Much happier now.
Yes. I could still tweak the edit, or re-record a couple of lines. But I’m finally comfortable with it being imperfect.
We go again next week. :-)
#PodcastPerfection
#TheThickRedLine
Building a Brand
Good news today from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Our latest trademark has been published in the Trade Mark Journal (view application here). There is now a 2-month period in which anybody may make observations or oppose its registration. If nobody opposes the mark, it’ll become registered approximately 2 weeks after the opposition period ends.
Note—a warning to business owners. Beware of fraudsters. As soon as your information appears in the register, you will be contacted by unsolicited companies. Some may send you offers to register this trade mark in unofficial private registers. Do not pay them.
#IntellectualProperty
#BuildingABrand
A Personal Memory Box
Question: When is a box more than just a box?
Answer: When you’ve spent your early career in the paper and packaging industry. So many tales to tell. So many highs and lows. So many career-defining moments. In both management and leadership. Fast forward 25 years. You commission your own custom packaging—and realise your life can be summed up in a box. (In a good way, of course.)
#PaperAndPackaging
#AttentionToDetail
Podcast upload
Our latest podcast episode is now available. I’ve finally let go and published to the ether. You can download or listen here.
You know, I find the whole written form/audio format fascinating. It’s funny how not everything written down translates to audio. Sometimes, you need to give the listener a bit more repetition, a few more clues to what you’re talking about, or a bit more breathing space. Always learning.
#WeeklyPodcast
#TheSundayScholar
A Sanding Obsession
What can't you let go?
For me, it's sanding—especially those wooden bespoke beauties. Call it an obsession. And call out the inner-perfectionist. Yes, it’d be good if we could outsource. But there again, there’s something special (and therapeutic) about the whole sanding process.
Yep, all our EGSP Wooden Blocks™ are hand sanded by me—at present.
What tasks or duties are you unable (or unwilling) to delegate?
We're launching our latest Leadership Development Programme soon. And every participant will receive an EGSP Wooden Block™. Places will be limited.
#Perfectionism
#Yellow
The Sunday Socials
Here’s a little something I’ve been working on this week… it’s a revamped social template for our weekly newsletter and podcast—’The Sunday Scholar’. What do you think?
The scrabble board is a homage to my obsession with taking photos of scrabble pieces every week. (Yes, there’s 12 squares in this image!). It used to take at least half an hour to set up, shoot and edit each week. And so always looking to make things slicker, I’ve decided to stick to a standard template.
I’d like to think this image is more “fun and classy” and better represents the podcast we produce. FYI… The typeface is Euclid by Swiss Typefaces. We’ve been using this on the front cover of our Journal since 2019.
#StickToSimpleTemplates
#PerfectionParalysis
Gather a trusted team
What’s been the highlight for you in 2022?
For me, it was delivering a Leadership Development Programme with the assistance of Marc Belbin and Alan Vallis (see photo above).
Over the course of 14 consecutive days, we took 200 people through a 7-day programme.
Yes, that’s right. We trained 100 people every day for 14 consecutive days!
A big thanks to everyone who made us feel welcome.
After lockdown, it was great to work onsite and be part of the hubbub again. Batteries recharged. A chance to test and refine my leadership skills.
So many insights. So much learned. So many friendships made along the way.
Keep tap-tap-tapping away.
Inspire, be inspired!
#InspireBeInspired
#DreamTeam
New website upgrade
Conscious that our website has been getting stale for some time. We’ve taken the plunge and have developed a whole new experience. Yes, we’ve upgraded to Squarespace 7.1. We like it. A lot. And it’ll be going live on Monday, 28 November. Just need to avoid those perfectionist tendencies. Eeeeek!
#PerfectionParalysis
#PerfectImperfection
Get to first base—first
Arghhh.
A short reminder to myself:
Focus on getting to first base—first
Feedback is useful
Internal feedback (and self doubt) is not so useful
Keep it simple
Delegate to get things done
Good enough can be enough
Excellent (in their eyes) is probably there
Excellent (in my eyes) will come later
(Don’t even think about perfection!)
Mission critical tasks only
Park up all ideas
Get out of the house—a walk or run will do me good
Embrace the imperfections
(Arghhh the imperfections!)
Get back to basics
Turn ‘professional’
Create a short deadline that’s meaningful
But remember, the show must go on.
Note to self—you should write a book about perfection paralysis!
Stop, stare and share
Every now and then, something will catch your eye. And it makes you stop and stare. Here’s a little something that’s just caught my eye. Yup, it’s our new Leadership Playbook. (Check out how the spot varnish picks up the light).
#LeadershipPlaybook
#MakeExcellenceYourMission
The intel on intellectual property
Every business owner and creative person should have at least one eye on all things intellectual property (IP).
And so last week I attended an event sponsored by Addleshaw Goddard (an international law firm) to raise the awareness and importance of IP with entrepreneurs. (It was Global Entrepreneurship Week after all)
The event was held at the fabulous Business and IP Centre at Manchester Central Library—a big thanks to Jonathan Ebbs and team for organising.
The talk covered, amongst other things, five top tips:
Think about your business. What are the relevant IP rights? How can you best protect them?
Have an IP strategy. Think brand searches, protection and enforcement.
Think about IP rights when creating content or products with third parties.
Don’t forget that IP rights apply to social media—beware of following current trends.
Once you have IP strategy. Monitor and keep up to date.
A really engaging presentation by Andrew Bayley and colleagues. Plenty of questions from the audience that sparked even more questions. (Gosh, so many questions!)
A useful reminder on the importance of brand and reputation.
And so the first thing I did when I returned home was to register another trademark. Yes, it cost £320 to file (£170 plus three additional categories at £50 each). But I see it as an investment in the business.
Good luck to all entrepreneurs who attended the event.
Inspire, be inspired!
#Entrepreneurship
#BrandProtection
Electric grain
Always amazed at how different and similar these wooden blocks are. The grain pattern on this little one is sheer electric. Very impressed!
(And yes, that’s a fine layer of sawdust all over my hand).
Library loans
When was the last time you visited a library? For me, it was pre-covid.
And so a short visit to Manchester Central Library was in order before catching the tram home. And I’d completely forgot that we donated 12 books to Manchester Library back in 2020—just before the pandemic put peoples plans on hold.
At the time, Jonathan Ebbs (Business and IP Manager, Manchester Library) welcomed the copies and agreed to distribute copies to the regional libraries. I remember how impressed he was with the local stories—and global perspectives. A great addition to the library.
Always curious, I thought I’d enquire how successful they were—2½ after donating the books,
All the books had been loaned out at some point, with the most recent book handed back only a fortnight ago. I’d take that!
A big thanks to the library staff who were very obliging and more than too happy to help. Especially after I introduced myself as the author. I think it made their evening. It certainly made mine!
Inspire, be inspired!
#StayCurious
#PersonalDevelopment
#LibraryBooks
Getting creative with EGSP
£12 from Hobbycraft. I just know these letters will come in handy.
#EGSP
#CraftyLetters
#MakeExcellenceYourMission